The Polish goalkeeper sanctioned his agent to find him a new club following the early weeks of the Gunners’ pre-season programme.

Long-time admirers Roma are now working on a deal to sign Szczesny on a season-long loan with an option to buy 12 months later.

Negotiations are progressing smoothly between the parties, with Arsene Wenger content for Szczesny to leave Emirates Stadium and Colombian David Ospina to deputise for new No1 Petr Cech.

Football Insider revealed that Wenger told Szczesny in a meeting at the end of last season that Cech was likely to join and he was free to find a new club. The Pole initially rejected the manager’s invitation and told him he wanted to battle Cech for a first-team spot next season.

But Szczesny has had a change of heart following Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia, where his new status became abundantly clear.

Wenger still has hopes that Szczesny, 25, can develop into a consistently top-class shot-stopper which is why he will leave the door open for him to return to Arsenal.